By Jones Gadama
French language courses started this week at Alliance Française de Blantyre for 25 women and men in uniform from the Malawi Defence Force, under a new regional cooperation program aimed at strengthening security and diplomacy in Southern Africa.
The program, titled “French as a tool to strengthen Diplomatic, Security and Military Cooperation in Southern Africa”, is coordinated by France in partnership with South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, and the French Institute of South Africa.
Brigadier General P Simwaka graced the opening ceremony as guest of honour.
He told the cohort that French proficiency is now vital for Malawian soldiers deployed to conflict zones in French-speaking countries as part of African Union or United Nations peacekeeping missions.
He cited recent deployments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda as examples where language barriers affected operations and community engagement.
“Language is a tool of peace and protection. When our soldiers can communicate directly with local communities and fellow peacekeepers, it saves lives and builds trust,” Brig. Gen. Simwaka said.
The Blantyre course will run for two years, taking the 25 defence force personnel from beginner A1 level up to independent B2 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
At B2, learners can understand complex discussions, interact fluently with native speakers, and handle operational briefings in French without assistance.
Alliance Française de Blantyre is simultaneously delivering similar courses in Lilongwe. Ten diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ten members of the Malawi Police Service are also enrolled there.
The dual rollout reflects the program’s goal of building a common French-language capacity across Malawi’s diplomatic, security and military institutions.
Officials say the regional initiative is part of France’s wider strategy to enhance interoperability among African forces and diplomats operating in Francophone regions.
For Malawi, it means better preparedness for multilateral missions and stronger bilateral ties with French-speaking neighbors.
The first cohort in Blantyre will sit regular proficiency assessments as they progress toward B2 certification by 2028.
